Good interview. Dead on (so to speak). One innovates slowly, or not at all. The Navy is famously conservative regarding innovation, which accounts for the seeming "low technology" on hand in modern submarines. It turns out this is the stuff that will keep on working when a ton of TNT in a depth charge decides to go off next to you. Even the transition to higher yield strength (HY series) steel was proofed out by the construction of trial submarines and plenty of testing. Just like the first nuclear submarine power plants were constructed and operated on land before being adopted for shipboard use.
The crackling composite hull was a warning siren that the strength was ebbing away. They should have beached the submersible permanently when the crackling was first heard. Being willing to throw one's life on the roulette wheel is not a sign of scientific or moral behavior.
I've read that Rush purchased composite material (presumably pre-impregnated tape) from Boeing, which had exceeded its shelf life. Boeing denies any such sale. But I had some experience in analyzing the chain of custody of that stuff, and it turns out it has to be kept in deep refrigeration all the time up to being laid and autoclaved. Any lapse in temperature control leads to loss of chemical and structural integrity. And it is simply not used beyond its shelf life. At that point, all bets are off.
Good interview. Dead on (so to speak). One innovates slowly, or not at all. The Navy is famously conservative regarding innovation, which accounts for the seeming "low technology" on hand in modern submarines. It turns out this is the stuff that will keep on working when a ton of TNT in a depth charge decides to go off next to you. Even the transition to higher yield strength (HY series) steel was proofed out by the construction of trial submarines and plenty of testing. Just like the first nuclear submarine power plants were constructed and operated on land before being adopted for shipboard use.
The crackling composite hull was a warning siren that the strength was ebbing away. They should have beached the submersible permanently when the crackling was first heard. Being willing to throw one's life on the roulette wheel is not a sign of scientific or moral behavior.
I've read that Rush purchased composite material (presumably pre-impregnated tape) from Boeing, which had exceeded its shelf life. Boeing denies any such sale. But I had some experience in analyzing the chain of custody of that stuff, and it turns out it has to be kept in deep refrigeration all the time up to being laid and autoclaved. Any lapse in temperature control leads to loss of chemical and structural integrity. And it is simply not used beyond its shelf life. At that point, all bets are off.
Thanks for the info. Have a great 4th of July-the one day celebration of our country's independence.